Prescription miticides

[snimmo243]

Has anyone used any of the prescription only miticides? I've been looking at apivar and checkmite
Steven

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

[gavin]

Has anyone used any of the prescription only miticides? I've been looking at apivar and checkmite
Steven

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

I used Apivar last year for the first time. It seems to have a good effect and is well tolerated.

Personally I wouldn't use Checkmite as I don't fancy the organophosphate coumaphos migrating into wax. It is used in the commercial beekeeping fraternity as a spot treatment.

http://www.apidologie.org/articles/apido/abs/2007/06/m6116/m6116.html

One of the bad feelings I get when I hear of imports of bees from Italy in particular is that Apivar has been heavily used there for a while but is relatively new here. I haven't seen anything concrete on the development of resistance (in Varroa) to Apivar (amitraz) but it seems to be folly to be importing bees and Varroa from a country with that history of use.

[snimmo243]

Apivar was the one I was drawn to, the info on the other treatments was a bit harder to find. I think I will ask my Vet if they would be willing to obtain the treatments if I decide to try one

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

[The Drone Ranger]

The new hop based one should be out next year
Might be called Hoplite or something
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Ancient_Greece_hoplite_with_his_hoplon_and_dory.jp g

[fatshark]

HopGuard

There's an advert on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2y4rndPhlo) that sounds like it's been recorded by a robot all about the stuff.

I heard Max Wilkins from Vita talk about it at the NHS … the two things I clearly remember were it could be used with supers on but it was only ~80% effective at clearing mites. Although I remember it clearly, I might remember it wrongly.

[The Drone Ranger]

HopGuard

There's an advert on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2y4rndPhlo) that sounds like it's been recorded by a robot all about the stuff.

I heard Max Wilkins from Vita talk about it at the NHS … the two things I clearly remember were it could be used with supers on but it was only ~80% effective at clearing mites. Although I remember it clearly, I might remember it wrongly.

Well they missed a trick there my name for it is so much better :)

[fatshark]

Much better name I agree … it's just the image that put people off. What the hell is that by his left knee?

[gavin]

Much better name I agree … it's just the image that put people off. What the hell is that by his left knee?

Triple LOL!!

Must have nothing on under his kilt.

[The Drone Ranger]

That gets the varroa where it hurts
It's the pointy end of his sword
Were you thinking this guy needs a truss ?
The marketing should say "don't even think about crossing a Hoplite"

[EK.Bee]

Apivar was the one I was drawn to, the info on the other treatments was a bit harder to find. I think I will ask my Vet if they would be willing to obtain the treatments if I decide to try one

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk
If you have any difficulties, you can source it via mail order through Bridge St vet practice in Dumfries
You need to fill out an online form & they phone to confirm a few details then post it out
http://www.bridgevets.com

[snimmo243]

Thanks ek Bee I've spoken to my own Vet and they are willing to help me out if I go ahead, I am really looking for something I can put on just now which rules a lot of stuff out due to the temperature

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

[Black Comb]

I'm using apivar at the moment. Bridge vets got some new stock last week.

[snimmo243]

Is that effective just now? What about withdrawal for supers?

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

[Black Comb]

A count after 3 days revealed a biggish drop, so yes.
Advice is to remove before supers are added but it has a zero removal time I.e. You can put supers on straight after removal.
Minimum time strips need to be in the hive is 6 weeks, have read 8 is better.
Depends when you expect to place your supers on the hive.

[Black Comb]

Count at this apiary showed it is continuing to be effective. The hive with the biggest drop (a large colony) had 130 after 3 days and 90 after a further 8 days. The other colonies on this site all had small drops this second count. All had full autumn treatment but none oxalic at Christmas.
At a different apiary, again with full autumn treatment and no oxalic, one hive only showed any concern, I.e. a drop of 10 over 4 days (no treatment on these colonies) so I have put on MBC's thin layer of Apiguard on a tray above the top bars. As he suggested I will change this in 10 days and leave on for a further 10 days. Not bothered about thymol in this colony as I intend to use it for double brood for Cloake board (it's a national).